Book excerpt: Excerpt from A Concise History of the Mormon Battalion in the Mexican War, 1846-1847 After a lapse of thirty-six years from the time of the enlistment of the Mormon Battalion, no apology is required for publishing its history. Had its publication been undertaken at an earlier date, it might have been accomplished more satisfactorily to all concerned, as many important and interesting facts and incidents have doubtless been buried with the departed veterans. However, the most sanguine expectations of the author have been realized in the data collected for compiling this history, consisting of diaries written during service and numerous letters and statements from surviving members of that valiant corps. Neither labor, pains nor expense has been spared in the effort to make this a just and authentic history. The author has not aimed at sensational effect, nor made any attempt at literary embellishment, but rather endeavored to offer a plain statement of facts and give due credit to all concerned. Should his efforts meet the approval of his intelligent readers, his highest ambition in the publication of this work will be attained. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.